Acoustical sound insulators, such as acoustic panels, are used in a variety of settings where it is desired to dampen noise from an external source. For example, acoustic panels are commonly used in office buildings to attenuate sound generated from the workplace, such as from telephone conversations or from the operation of office equipment. Acoustic panels are typically formed of a sound absorbing core material positioned within a frame and covered by a material, such as fabric or a painted surface, to make the front side of the panel aesthetically pleasing. In addition, when a frame is not used, the edges of the core material are coated with an adhesive layer and hardened to give strength and rigidity to the acoustic panel. Often, the fabric material is wrapped around the sides of the core material and fastened to the back side of the panel by an adhesive or staples so that the sides of the panel are also aesthetically pleasing. The fabric material may contain a decorative design or pattern.
Although conventional acoustic panels are able to dampen sound over a wide sound/frequency spectrum and may be aesthetically pleasing, they are costly to manufacture and difficult to assemble. To manufacture the acoustic panel, the core material is first fabricated to the finished panel dimensions. The frame must then be properly sized so that the core material fits securely inside. Next, the fabric material is cut to the shape of the finished panel but with sufficient excess so that the fabric material can be wrapped around the edges and secured to the back side of the panel. This excess of fabric material leads to waste and excess cost.
To assemble the acoustic panel, the core material is placed into the frame, the fabric material is wrapped around the panel, and the fabric material is secured to the backside of the panel. In order to ensure that there are no sags in the fabric material, the fabric material must be pulled tightly across and around the panel before securing the fabric material to the panel. In addition, if the fabric contains a design, the fabric must be placed in the proper orientation so that the finished assembly of acoustic panels achieves the desired design. Therefore, the assembly of the acoustic panel can be time consuming and tedious.
Thus, there exists a need in the art for an acoustic panel that contains a decorative surface on both the front of the panel and the sides of the panel that is easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, and is inexpensive.